I better not catch you grabbing buns from the store, not when my quick hamburger buns recipe takes just 30 minutes and six simple ingredients. So fast, you can have soft, fluffy, bakery-fresh buns on the table before your patties are even done - pair them with my quick easy ketchup recipe and dinner’s sorted.
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"This (bun) recipe is amazing! I've tried her easy focaccia which was also incredible. I've passed her recipes along to anyone who will listen to me rave about them!"
- Talia
Quick Look: Quick Hamburger Buns Recipe
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Bake Time: 15 minutes at 425°F
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Servings: 8 buns
- Difficulty: Beginner
- Equipment: Large mixing bowl, baking sheet, parchment paper, pastry brush
- Optional Add-ins: Sesame seeds, poppy seeds, everything bagel seasoning, flaky salt, grated Parmesan
- Why This Works: A large amount of instant yeast combined with warm liquid activates immediately, skipping the traditional 1-2 hour wait times.
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Why You'll Love this Recipe
- Faster than going to the store: Last winter, a snowstorm hit, and my brother wanted a hamburger for lunch. These were on the table in 30 minutes with ingredients I already had.
- One dough, four completely different breads: This exact dough can turn into easy homemade hot dog buns, quick sandwich bread recipe, and easy hot cross buns recipe by simply changing the shape.
- Make it completely your own: I've tested sesame seeds, everything bagel seasoning, Italian herbs, and even garlic butter instead of egg wash!
- First-timers nail it: I've received an overwhelming amount of comments and messages from readers who had never made bread before and got these perfect on the first try.
- You control the size: Store-bought buns are sometimes massive. Portion the dough how you want, something no bagged bun gives you.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Sugar: Feeds the yeast and adds a subtle sweetness. As a Canadian, I almost always reach for maple syrup instead, same amount, no other changes needed.
- Warm Water & Vegetable Oil: You can swap warm water with warm milk, and vegetable oil with melted butter to create a softer, richer, brioche-style bun. This is something I personally do almost every time… If you also love soft bread, you'll love my japanese milk bread recipe.
- Instant Yeast: And at last, the hero of this recipe. A generous amount of instant yeast is what gets you from mixing bowl to table in 30 minutes. If you're not in a rush? You can halve it; the buns rise more slowly, but the flavour develops a little more depth.
Pro Tip: If you're using active dry yeast instead of instant yeast, make sure to proof it first. This is the most common reason I see comments about dense, flat buns. Combine your active dry yeast with the warm water (or milk) and ½ teaspoon of sugar and let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes until it's foamy.
Need More Substitutions? Discuss With AI:
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How To Make Quick Hamburger Buns Recipe
- Step 1: Combine 2 tablespoon instant yeast with 1 cup warm water in a large bowl and stir for a few seconds.
- Step 2: Add ⅓ cup vegetable oil, 2 tablespoon sugar, and one egg into the yeast mixture. Whisk for around 30 seconds until it's well combined.
- Step 3: Add 1 teaspoon salt and 3 cups flour (start with 3 cups, only add more if the dough feels too sticky).
- Step 4: Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 3 to 5 minutes. (If it's sticking to your hands, add flour one tablespoon at a time.) You're done when the surface looks smooth and satiny and the dough springs back when you poke it.
- Step 5: There is no rise time, so immediately divide your dough into 8 - 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a ball, then place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet with enough room to expand.
- Step 6: Beat the remaining egg in a small bowl, then brush the egg wash over the tops of the buns. If you're using sesame seeds or other toppers, now's the time to sprinkle them on the dough balls.
- Step 7: While you preheat the oven to 425°F, let the buns rest for 5 - 10 minutes. That's a perfect amount of time to learn how to make homemade ketchup or consider giving homemade pickles a whirl, both of which are a hamburger's best friend!
- Step 8: Place buns in the preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes until golden brown. Once finished, remove buns from the oven and let 'em cool before serving.
Bonus step: Congratulate yourself, because you just made hamburger buns completely from scratch! That's really frigging cool!
Expert Tips
- Shape: After shaping the buns into a ball, I found that flattening them slightly with my hands helps make a more distinct hamburger bun look.
- Yield: You can evenly divide the dough up to 12 times. They may look small before baking, but due to the fast rise in this recipe, they'll come out of the oven nice and big.
- Garlic Butter: Instead of egg wash, I sometimes brush the buns with a melted butter and garlic powder mix. It'll give the buns a flavour reminiscent of my Copycat Pizza Hut Garlic Parmesan Breadstick Recipe!
- To Knead: To knead, press into the dough in a forward motion with the heel of your hand, then fold the far edge back toward you, give it a quarter turn, and repeat
Quick Hamburger Buns Recipe FAQs
Absolutely! The buns can be stored in a paper bag on the counter for 1 - 2 days, in the fridge for up to 5 days, and can live in the freezer for months at a time.
Hey, if you got it, flaunt it! Mix the ingredients with the paddle attachment, then switch to the dough hook and knead for 3 - 4 minutes on medium-low speed.
Nine times out of ten, it's the yeast. If you used active dry yeast instead of instant and added it directly to the dough without proofing it first, the yeast never fully activated (left a note in the ingredient section to help you solve this.)
Two other things to check are water temperature and kneading time. The water should feel comfortably warm on your wrist. If it's too hot, it will kill the yeast entirely. And three to five minutes of kneading is the minimum; if cut short, the dough won't build enough structure to hold the rise during baking.
Make It a Full Burger Night
Going all in on burger night? Here's what to make alongside
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Quick Hamburger Buns Recipe
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Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon Instant Yeast
- ⅓ Cup Vegetable Oil
- 2 tablespoon Sugar
- 2 Eggs
- 3 Cups All Purpose Flour
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- 1 Cup Warm Water
- Sesame Seeds (optional)
Instructions
- Stir 2 tablespoon Instant Yeast and 1 Cup Warm Water in a large bowl
- Add ⅓ Cup Vegetable Oil, 2 tablespoon Sugar, and 1 Egg. Whisk until everything is well combined.
- Add 3 Cups of All-Purpose Flour and 1 teaspoon Salt. Mix until dough is shaggy.
- Transfer dough to a floured surface and knead for 3-5 minutes (add 1 - 2 tablespoon of flour if dough is sticky).
- Divide dough into 8 - 12 pieces, then place them on a parchment-lined baking sheet with enough room to expand.
- Beat 1 Egg and brush generously over the tops of each bun. Add Sesame Seeds (Optional).
- Preheat oven to 425°F, let dough sit for 5 - 10 minutes. Bake for 15 minutes until golden. Allow to cool and enjoy!
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In the last 10 days, I have made these three times! They get better every time. Yesterday, my niece, her husband, and their three kids came over for the morning and lunch. I made sloppy Joe’s and Audrey my great niece and I made the hamburger buns again! That was my third time. I let her do all the work, I showed her how to measure out flower properly, and then we got into kneading of course I let her do it. She asked how long do we do this? I told her until it feels right. She looked at me and I said trust me, she did, of course. Then when it came to the point where the door was smooth, soft touch and all that good stuff I told her she was done kneading & we talked about how it changed. We finished making them & they were delicious again.
Thanks for sharing ????
Teresa
WOW Teresa this made me so happy to hear!! What a absolute treat to have your great niece baking along with you, and I hope you sparked a life long interested in baking for her!! I’m so glad you’re loving the hamburger buns and with 4th of july coming up, pro tip… you can shape them into hot dog buns too! I’ve got a tutorial on my site. Thanks for sharing this story with me, and keep them coming (:
So freaking good!!
Thanks for making it easy!!
So glad you liked it Jennifer!! (:
Thank you so much for sharing these easy bread recipes! I’ve always been intimidated to make burger buns because most recipes call for a stand mixer, but I love how easy these came together! Even my 4 year old enjoyed helping; although we did accidentally add both eggs and forgot the salt the first time we made them, somehow they still tasted good! Just made them again following the recipe exactly and they are so so so good, way better and healthier than store bought, not to mention more cost effective! Thanks again, I look forward to trying other of your recipes soon.
AHH kylie this is so sweet!! I’m so happy to see you and your 4 year old are baking. Yes baking is so much more forgiving than it’s given credit for. Just today I overfermented one of my doughs, and while many might have thought it was garbage, I turned it into tortillas instead (: Can’t wait to hear what other recipes you try!!
The buns baked up perfectly. Both my son and husband enjoyed them.
The dough worked up easily. Liquid is added to the flour.
Thinking I will try them as a dinner roll.
I’m so happy to here that Glenda! Let me know how they go as dinner rolls (: I would recommend swapping out the water for milk and the oil for butter to make them extra fluffy!
Five stars because the flavor was great, but they were SO dense and doughy! What could I be doing wrong? I want that fluffiness they are supposed to have!
Glad it tasted great!! Maybe knead it for a bit longer to incorporate more air and press your buns down slightly before baking. You can also try replacing oil and water for butter and milk (:
Hiiii! How long will these keep for? In other words, how many days in advance can I make a batch?
You can make them and freeze them for up to 3 months! I put mine in the freezer even if I’m using them the next day because for me it’s the easiest way to store them and keep them soft. Make sure you cut them in half before freezing them tho!
Did these as a quick bun was required.
These are delicious and very easy to make.
Flavour and crust just right with a nice soft inner.
Paired these with black bean burgers, salad, tomatoes and courgette fritters (onion, pot, 2 eggs and seasoning).
Shared recipe with wider family. Normally use honey (Italian mate told ento use) but the maple syrup adds a subtle flavour. Thank you for sharing.
So happy to hear that it went well!! Those burgers sounds so delicious WOW. I go between honey and maple syrup too but had to go back to my canadian roots (:
My dough was very wet with 3 cups of flour so I worked some more in while kneading. I’m new to baking bread and mine turned out excellent! Baked for about 13 minutes. Such a great recipe!
Hi Lisa!! I’m so glad the hamburger buns went well for you. Thank you for sharing that with me (:
Made a half batch and it turned out super good and it was really easy. I subbed maple syrup for brown sugar and it worked just fine. Also I added a bit more flour while kneading. Overall great, simple, fast recipe, thanks!
So happy to hear it Mari! Great substitution. You can use honey as another substitute as well. Thanks for sharing (:
What can I substitute for the maple syrup, is plain old sugar ok?
Sugar is totally okay! You can also substitute with honey.
I would like to preface this by saying this was entirely MY fault! I was frustrated with the recipe because my dough was so sticky, I ended up adding around 6 cups of flour, and it was still sticky. I was wondering what went wrong, if my house was too warm- I realized I added both eggs into the dough and didn’t put into account the OTHER egg was for the wash. I’m sure the buns will be fine since they’re in the oven right now. I just wanted to share my experience in case someone else has this problem! I’ve been in the trenches with a grumpy toddler so I was too distracted to read closely. I’m looking forward to these!
These turned out just as described…thanks for the recipe!
Made them twice and they taste so good! I must be forming the balls wrong though because I keep getting splitting and they don’t look like the picture. How do you fix this?
We are snowed in and out of hamburger buns. I didn’t have the instant yeast, but did it anyways. Went together pretty easy. Came out beautiful.
Hi Andrea!!
So glad you liked the hamburger buns. You can replace instant yeast with active dry yeast anytime. Just add your water yeast and sugar first, let it sit for 10 minutes and continue with the rest of the ingredients (: Thanks for trying out my recipe.
They came out great! My husband really likes them with his breakfast sandwiches.
They’re the best for breakfast! Especially because they’re so light and fluffy. I love how versatile this recipe is. I’m going to try a chocolate version or a cinnamon raisin version next time (:
Omg. I’ve yet to make the hamburger buns… but I have made her bagel and focaccia!!!!! So easy! So good!!! I’m thankful for your sharing your recipes!!!!
Hi Kim!!
Thank you so much for this sweet comment (: Lot’s more recipes coming your way soon… and I can’t wait to hear how your hamburger buns go.
Hi Kim so sorry I meant to leave you 5 stars oh no I click on 4 by mistake just realized it. I tried to revise but will not allow me do sorry
Don’t worry Sandy!! You’re the best (:
Making hamburger rolls today! I love all of her recipes! They are so easy and tasty. Best cook around. Thanks for making even a beginner become a baker
This is the sweetest compliment sandy!! Thank you so much. So glad you’re loving the buns and pro tip– try turning them into hot dog buns too (:
Love the burger buns! Would you do anything differently to make hot dog buns aside from shaping them that way?
Hi Katie!! So glad you liked them (: no difference for hot dog buns, you just shape them differently. I do have a seperate recipe for those on my site with explanation on shaping!